India has done well publicly not to overlook the August 15 dust-up between Indian and Chinese troops in the Pangong Lake area in Ladakh on August 15, and officially accept that an “incident” had indeed occurred. This acknowledgment may be seen as an alert that unilateral Chinese actions on the disputed border have not remained confined to the Doklam area. This suggests that the state of Indian preparations against Chinese expansionism must be an effort that encompasses all elements of state power. India also rightly cautioned on Friday that episodes like the one in Ladakh do not contribute to peace. China had signed an agreement with India in 1993 to maintain peace on the border. Mercifully, the troops of the nuclear neighbours did not resort to firearms, perhaps conscious that any escalation can have ramifications.
However, the meeting of border patrol management teams revealed an icy attitude on China’s part. India and China cranked up diplomacy to convince the world of their positions on the Doklam “standoff”, and the Indian effort has borne fruit. The Japanese ambassador in New Delhi recently urged China not to “unilaterally” alter borders. Beijing is not amused. India’s acknowledgment of the Ladakh “incident” came on the same day as the Japanese statement. China must know the game is on.
